NEW ZEALAND: Ambitious proposals, such as a single currency for the region, have worried smaller states at the Pacific Islands Forum, writes Iva Pocock in Auckland
New Zealand has been hosting its neighbours at the annual gathering of the Pacific Islands Forum over the past few days, a somewhat misnamed gathering of the region's nations. Fifteen member-states are indeed islands, but the world's smallest continent, Australia, is also a member.
Its landmass - over 7.5 million square kilometres - far exceeds those of the other countries. Kiribati's islands span just 700 square kilometres of land, while Nauru is a minuscule 21 square kilometres. However, the islands control vast areas of the Pacific, the world's largest ocean.
Populations mirror these extremes. Only three countries - Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea - have millions of citizens; the others just thousands. For example Niue, an island nation west of Fiji, has 1,800 inhabitants. The region's economy is made up of both large developed nations, Australia and New Zealand, and some of the world's least developed nations.
These disparities are clearly apparent at the forum, with Australian and New Zealand officials, and media, outnumbering the smaller nations. Some countries only have ministries of a few people and, as one observer said, it is obvious their delegations struggle to keep up in discussions ranging from security to climate change and HIV/AIDS.
Traditionally the 34-year-old forum has focused on social and economic issues, but as Nauru's UN Ambassador, Mr Vinci Clodumar, said, discussions in recent years have now moved into the political arena. For example the Biketawa Declaration signed in 2000 paved the way for last month's intervention by Australian and New Zealand troops in the troubled Solomon Islands, a move unanimously supported by forum members.
The intervention may mark a new phase in forum discussions,towards issues which affect the islands' sovereignty.
Already Australia's Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, is proposing a regional police-training programme, which is being supported by Fiji and New Zealand. However, some islands are concerned it may be a precursor to a regional police force. Mr Edwin Pittman, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Cook Islands, said: "The precedent has been set and it is an issue that makes a lot of sense. But it depends on whether it would be like the police force in the Solomons or if it would have a more permanent role. Any proposals need to be discussed".
And this week the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee of the Australian Senate proposed that the Pacific region use one currency - preferably the Australian dollar. Again the response to date is cautious. Nauru's Mr Clodumar said "We'll need to study that carefully. We are quite sensitive in areas of what we believe are our sovereign rights and rights to our own currency and finance, but everything can be explored and looked at."
Discussions at the forum are traditionally conducted in a "Pacific Way", a cautious style of diplomacy, in contrast to Australian brashness.
New Zealand considers itself more understanding of the region's island nations as Prime Minister Helen Clark said in the New Zealand Herald this week: "New Zealand has always believed it has a reasonable degree of sensitivity to small island countries and their needs and their issues."
Their needs are great. Many islands are dependent on aid, with Australia and New Zealand giving millions to the region. Ten years ago Australia gave no aid to Nauru; last year it gave over 3 million Australian dollars, with promises of up to $30 million to pay for the island's hosting of asylum-seekers.
Corruption in the use of aid is also on the forum's agenda. New Zealand cancelled government funding to Fiji in 2000 when a coup took place. Some countries are implicated in other forms of corruption - the Cook Islands says it is trying to get off the OECD list for money laundering.
Diseases threatening the islands' people are also a point of discussion. "The region is facing a double health burden - communicable diseases such as TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases such as obesity, " said Ms Lourdes Pangelinan, of the forum's secretariat.
Some islands may bear the brunt of climate change. If sea levels continue to rise, Tuvalu may disappear.
In 2001 four leaders, including Australia's Mr Howard, failed to appear at the forum, prompting suggestions it was waning in importance. This year it is bigger than ever and Mr Howard has shown up.
Suggestions that Australia is adopting a neo-colonial policy towards the Pacific islands are met with Pacific-style diplomacy. Nauru's Mr Clodumar said Australia has changed its position. "Because of the issues of security and safety within the region - the Pacific is the corridor to Australia - I think they are now taking a tougher position. It appears that they are being more aggressive in pushing the Pacific Islands to move forward in areas of security, at least," he said.
Australia is also attempting to break a 34-year-old protocol whereby the forum's secretary general is an islander.
Although their candidate is married to a Samoan, and headed the Pacific branch of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, there is unease that the position may leave the islands.
Members hope that consensus can be reached, as "that's the spirit of the Pacific", says Nauru's Mr Clodumar.